How we help

The Australian Script Centre supplies playscripts and photocopy licences to a wide variety of markets in Australia and overseas. We are constantly looking for new, high quality scripts for professional, amateur and school productions, independent directors and secondary and tertiary drama courses.

Plays in the ASC catalogue have the advantage of being associated with a well-known and respected source of contemporary Australian plays. Inclusion in the ASC catalogue is a simple and professional way of making your play globally available to producers, educators, students and other theatre practitioners.

We can generate interest in your work and additional income through royalties earned from script sales, photocopy licences and production rights. The royalties earned are generally not large amounts but script sales frequently lead to new productions. Australian plays are rarely published in book form so distributing your scripts through the ASC is a practical way to keep your scripts in circulation long after the first production season has closed.

Sales and photocopy licences

Accepted plays are:

Available globally for purchase through australianplays.org (including being featured as a new release);

Send you an annual statement of sales, together with payment for royalties earned, provided the amount payable exceeds $15 (amounts less than $15 accrue to the following year).

Production licensing

The ASC is widely recognised as a starting point for production enquiries in relation to plays in its catalogue. We receive many such enquiries, all of which are promptly forwarded to the relevant playwright or their agent.

If you’re a playwright unrepresented by an agency, you can authorise the ASC to handle school and amateur production licensing on your behalf. If you choose to do this, the ASC will manage the negotiations and paperwork on your behalf and retain a commission of 10% on production fees received. To take up this option, follow the Production Licence Authority form link below. Note that production licensing is only available for works accepted into the ASC catalogue.

How it works

The ASC’s generic licensing agreement offers a quick and easy performance rights solution designed to demystify the licensing process for potential producers and playwrights alike. At its most basic, the agreement for school and amateur productions provides for a fee of $100 per performance or 10% of gross box office receipts, whichever is greater. Other provisions cover such things as playwright attribution, alterations to the script, promotional materials and complimentary tickets.

Playwrights registering new works with the ASC can take up the option of ASC production licensing by completing and signing Section 2 of the Script Licensing Agreement.

Playwrights who already have works available through the Script Centre, are not represented by an agency and would like the Script Centre to provide this licensing service in respect of their work should download and complete the Production Licence Authority Form and return it by fax or post to the ASC Office Manager.

We stress that you are under no obligation to take up the offer. ASC scripts that do not come with the option of a production licensing agreement will not be disadvantaged in any way.